Hold-down weight for conductor supporting clamps



Sept. 26, 1967 BETHEA, ETAL 3,344,224

HOLD-DOWN WEIGHT FOR CONDUCTOR SUPPORTING CLAMPS Filed Sept. 6, 1966 Affomgys United States Patent 3,344,224 HOLD-DOWN WEIGHT FOR CONDUCTOR SUPPORTING CLAMPS Malcolm Bethea, Jr., and Karl E. Smith, Birmingham,

Ala., said Smith assignor to Bethea Company, Inc., a

corporation of Alabama Filed Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 577,306 4 Claims. (Cl. 174-40) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A conductor supporting clamp hold-down weight having a cavity in its upper surface contoured to nest under and around and closely adjacent the lower portion of the supporting clamp. Securing members connect the holddown weight to the keeper of the supporting clamp with the body of the clamp therebetween to secure the clamp body to the hold-down weight and to a conductor. The exterior surface of the hold-down weight is rounded and smoothly contoured to provide an electrical shield.

This invention relates to a hold-down weight for a conductor supporting clamp and more particularly to a hold-down weight which is employed at a transmission line support point to prevent up-lif of the suspension clamp under unusual conditions of terrain and line tension.

As is well known in the art to which our invention relates, hold-down weights are employed to maintain a positive loading on the various hardware components and insulator linkages to prevent sparking and attendant radio noise. Also, such holddown weights are employed at tower jumper suspensions where, with the short span of conductor on the clamp and insulator string, there is no natural weight to hold connection pieces tightly. Holddown weights are also employed to add an additional vertical force component to reduce the angular swing of the insulator string under wind loadings. While various types of hold-down weights have been proposed, they eX- tend a substantial distance from the conductor supporting clamp whereby they do not provide for sufficient electrical clearances. Also, additional clamping means has been required to attach the weight to the clamp and the exposed surfaces of the weight and securing means therefor have not served as an electrical shield to prevent corona.

An object of our invention is to provide a hold-down weight which is contoured to nest under and around the lower portion of a conductor supporting clamp to provide a composite unit that is compact whereby proper electrical clearances may be maintained.

Another object of our invention is to provide a hold down weight for a conductor supporting clamp in which the weight is secured to the supporting clamp by retaining elements which also secure the conductor to the supporting clamp.

Another object of our invention is to provide a holddown weight for a conductor supporting clamp in which the exterior surfaces thereof are rounded and smoothly contoured to provide an electrical shield for the line support point.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a hold-down weight of the character designated which shall be extremely simple of construction, economical of manufacture and one which may be installed with a minimum of effort and without modifying the supporting clamp in any way.

Apparatus embodying features of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, showing the hold-down weight secured to a conventional supporting clamp;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view showing a pair of holddown weights secured to laterally spaced conductor supporting clamps; and

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing the hold-down weight secured in place by cap screws.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of our invention, we show a conventional type suspension clamp 10 which is connected by a pin 11 to a socket connector 12 which in turn is detachably connected to the lower end of an insulator string indicated generally at 13. The clamp 10 is provided with a groove therein for receiving a conductor 14. The clamp 10 is also provided with the usual keeper 16 which is secured in place by U-bolts 17 having retaining nuts 18.

Our improved hold-down weight comprises a weight body member 19 having a cavity 21 therein which is contoured to nest under and around the lower portion of the supporting clamp 10 to provide a composite unit, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. That is, the cavity 21 is of a shape to receive the lower portion of the supporting clamp 10 with a snug fit to provide a compact unit. The weight body member 19 is provided with side members 22 which extend upwardly along opposite sides of the supporting clamp 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The upper surfaces of the sides 22 are rounded and smoothly contoured, as shown. Also, the lower edges and ends of the weight body member 19 are rounded and smoothly contoured whereby the weight unit serves as an electrical shield.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, openings 20 are provided in the weight body member 19 for receiving the legs of the U-bolts 17. Also, recesses 23 are provided in the weight body member 19 in position to receive the bases of the U-bolts 17 whereby the U-bolts not only serve to secure the keeper 16 in place but also serve to secure the hold-down weight to the supporting clamp 10. That is to say, the legs of the U-bolt 17 are of a length to receive an intermediate portion 24 of the weight body member 19, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, whereby the U-bolts perform the function of securing the weight member 19 in place and at the same time draw the keeper 16 into clamping engagement with the conductor 14, as shown.

In FIG. 4 of the drawing, we show a pair of weight body members 19 secured to laterally spaced conductor supporting clamps 10 which in turn are connected to a yoke plate 26 by link members 27 in a manner well understood in the art. The yoke plate 26 is shown as being supported by insulator strings 28.

From the foregoing description, the assembly of our improved hold-down weights will be readily understood. The weight body member 19 is positioned adjacent the under surface of the supporting clamp 10 and the U-bolts 17 are inserted through the openings 20 in the weight body member, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, whereby the intermediate portion 24 is inwardly of the base of each U-bolt. The legs of the U-bolt thus extends through openings in the keeper 16 and the retaining nuts 18 are tightened whereby the weight body member 19 is secured firmly to the supporting clamp 10 and at the same time the keeper 16 moves into clamping engagement with conductor 14. Accordingly, the hold-down weight is installed at the same time the supporting clamp 10 is moved into clamping relation to the conductor 14.

In FIG. 5 of the drawing we show a modified form of our invention in which the body member indicated at 19 is secured to the supporting clamp by cap screws 25. Threaded openings 25 are provided in the body member 19 for receiving the cap screws 25. Also, the body member 19 is provided with side members 22 which extend upwardly along opposite sides of the clamp 10, whereby the body member is contoured to nest under and around clamp 19.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that we have devised an improved hold-down weight for a conductor supporting clamp. By providing a weight which is contoured to nest under and around the supporting clamp, we provide a compact unit which provides a minimum size to the assembly profile. Accordingly, all energized parts are assembled in a compact manner to maintain proper electrical clearances. Also, by securing the hold-down weight to the supporting clamp by the same means that serves to secure the clamp to the conductor, we not only reduce the parts of the assembly but facilitate installation of the hold-down units. Furthermore, by providing a compact unit in which the exterior surfaces are rounded and smoothly contoured, we provide an excellent shield for the transmission line support point.

While We have shown our invention in two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a conductor supporting clamp having a clamp body and keeper:

(a) a hold-down weight body member having a cavity in its upper surface contoured to nest under and around and adjacent the lower portion of the supporting clamp to provide a composite unit that is compact,

(b) said weight body member having rounded and smoothly contoured exterior surfaces providing an electrical shield adjacent said supporting clamp, and

(c) clamping means connecting said weight body member to said keeper with said clamp body therebetween and thereby securing said clamp body to said weight body member and to a conductor positioned between said keeper and said clamp body.

2. The combination with a conductor supporting clamp as defined in claim 1 in which the clamping means is a U-bolt of a length to engage said keeper and said weight body member.

3. The combination with a conductor supporting clamp as defined in claim 2 in which a recess is provided in said weight body member for receiving the base of said U-bolt.

4. The combination with a conductor supporting clamp as defined in claim 1 in which the clamping means comprises cap screws connecting said weight body member to said keeper with said clamp body therebetween and thereby securing said clamp body to said weight body member and to a conductor positioned between said keeper and said clamp body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,935 2/1942 Buchanan et al. 17442 2,699,462 1/1955 Exner 1744O X FOREIGN PATENTS 165,595 3/1950 Austria. 633,620 10/1927 France.

345,130 12/1936 Italy.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A CONDUCTOR SUPPORTING CLAMP HAVING A CLAMP BODY AND KEEPER: (A) A HOLD-DOWN WEIGHT BODY MEMBER HAVING A CAVITY IN ITS UPPER SURFACE CONTOURED TO NEST UNDER AND AROUND AND ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SUPPORTING CLAMP TO PROVIDE A COMPOSITE UNIT THAT IS COMPACT, (B) SAID WEIGHT BODY MEMBER HAVING ROUNDED AND SMOOTHLY CONTOURED EXTERIOR SURFACES PROVIDING AN ELECTRICAL SHIELD ADJACENT SAID SUPPORTING CLAMP, AND (C) CLAMPING MEANS CONNECTING SAID WEIGHT BODY MEMBER TO SAID KEEPER WITH SAID CLAMP BODY THEREBETWEEN AND THEREBY SECURING SAID CLAMP BODY TO SAID WEIGHT BODY MEMBER AND TO A CONDUCTOR POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID KEEPER AND SAID CLAMP BODY. 